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“Very much so,” Kale agrees. His hand finds my back, and he begins to trace a soothing figure eight.

The neediness that Orzo stoked increases ten-fold under the weight of all of their attention.

This is dangerous.

This is what I want.

I should run.

I deserve to be alone.

You deserve to be happy. Sherry’s voice cycles through me.

“Is this what you all want?” I ask against Orzo’s chest. Too scared to look.

To see that they don’t. To watch them run from me. Just as everyone always had in the past.

“Yes.” Orzo is the first to answer, his voice rumbling through to my core.

“Share you with these bozos?” Kale laughs. But then his voice lowers, taking on a gentler tone. “If it means having you? Yes.”

Reuben remains silent the longest.

I should look. I should see the expression gracing his face. Attempt to determine his thoughts.

But there is a terror. As if his refusal would ruin this charade.

After several more silent beats, Reuben lands on: “If you will have me.”

Ring!

“Fuck,” Reuben curses, jumping off of the bed. “They are enroute. We need to get upstairs now.”

Orzo gently rolls me onto the bed until I am staring up at the men.

“Not her. She stays here with me,” Orzo counters.

“You have to come,” Reuben argues back.

“You won’t leave here, will you?” Kale asks gently.

Bark!

Beanie jumps onto my chest, and I have to refrain from wincing at the pain.

“I won’t go anywhere,” I promise emphatically.

“You promise?” Orzo stares down at me with an intensity that I imagine many have faltered under.

“I promise, but I need to call Olive and my aunt.”

Kale opens his mouth to speak, but Orzo interrupts, “A new phone is getting delivered today. I will bring it up for you after this meeting. I will come back first and as soon as possible.”

“Okay,” I agree weakly.

And then the men buzz around me.

Reuben bends, first pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. Kale kisses my eyebrows and nose.